Highland apartment fire displaces dozens

A three-alarm fire ripped through an apartment building in Highland on Sunday, displacing several families.

The blaze broke out just before 10:30 a.m. on the 7400 block of Elm Street. Residents gathered outside their charred apartment complex, many still dressed in their pajamas.

The fire started in the bedroom of a corner apartment. The heavy smoke could be seen for miles. With dozens of kids living in the 16-unit complex, residents rushed to make sure everyone got out safely.

"It was scary. Everybody was running towards this way, so what I did, I opened the gate right away and everybody just ran into my house. They were scared with their kids," said neighbor Angie Diaz.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Officials said the blaze damaged seven apartments, forcing them to red tag the building. The fire has left more than six dozen residents suddenly homeless.

"It's a bad Mother's Day because we don't have a home right now," said resident Claudia Cedno.

The American Red Cross has set up a shelter for the families at San Gorgonio High School at 2299 East Pacific Ave. in San Bernardino.